Annual Report 2020

National Youth Representatives During the summer of 2020 the Board met with the National Youth Representatives as part of their commitment to youth voice and input at all levels of the organisation.

Broadly, the board and the National Youth Representatives spent significant time discussing what and where youth engagement will be in Scouting Ireland’s new structures for optimal youth participation. A paper from the National Youth Representatives was presented which outlined two approaches. Following this, a discussion on what a hybrid approach of both would look like took place. The National Youth Representatives will continue to engage with the Transition Subcommittee to discuss, progress and present a proposal in advance of the next meeting.

Scouting Ireland is committed to not only being an organisation for youth but that it truly becomes an organisation which is shaped and led by young people.

Following on from the National Youth Forum, the National Youth Representatives presented a number of motions to the Board for consideration. The following sets out the matters raised by the National Youth Representatives and progress on the matters raised: Sustainability Policy Proposal: That Scouting Ireland would adopt a sustainability policy which would include:(1) Banning of all single-use plastics from National Events (2) All National Events must provide a recycling system (3) On all national activities, each participating team must own and use a recycling system.

Response: The Board accepted this in principle and the CEO committed to bring the policy paper to the Programme Services and Corporate Services departments to implement through Project Teams in each department.

Inside Out Blog Proposal: Proposed to reactivate a youth blog to produce bi-weekly articles for members.

Response: The Board were very supportive of the proposal. The CEO advised that this would be a Project Team within the Information and Communications Department and this motion is timely as the Department were reviewing communications strategy.

Free Sanitary products at National Centres: That Scouting Ireland will provide free sanitary products at all National Centres.

Response: The Board accepted this in principle. The CEO will request the Corporate Services Department to investigate what is needed to deliver on this. The National Venture Representatives agreed that the Venture Forum would be happy to apply to be part of a Project Page 17